Up to My Armpits: Adventures of a West Texas Veterinarian

by Charlie Edwards

A memoir of 50 years of practicing large animal veterinary medicine in the vast Big Bend country of Texas. Living in Marfa, Texas the Doc traveled far and wide to treat his patients - pregnancy testing cows, delivering calves, or extracting a deer horn or mesquite limb from deep in a cow's throat. Often working days with little or no sleep, the Doc was literally up to his armpits in work. His patients included horses, hogs, sheep and goats, and an occasional family pet - dogs, cats, skunks and turtles. He once declawed a pet mountain lion for one of his clients. The Doc has been stepped on, kicked, stomped, gored, scratched and bitten by his patients. Doc writes like a natural born story teller. Here is the life of a man you loved his work and who practiced it with compassion and dedication. He loves rugged West Texas. His clients were his friends. He particularly enjoyed the camaraderie of ranchers and cowboys and appreciated a well run cow work.

349 pages, Paperback

First published November 30, 2002

Reviews

[Abbie Masengale · Rating 5 out of 5]

Maybe I’m biased, but my great grandpa was an incredible man💕 I love reading about the man I never got to know.

[Ashley · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very interesting, but repetitive. The author writes like he (I would assume) talks, which is quite charming.

[Caitlin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hilarious! I laughed out loud often while reading this book! It is a collection of stories from this vet's practice from the beginning trials and lessons to the end...when he was still learning! It's told with humor and simplicity. The setting is mainly the 50s and 60s in a rural area where veterinary medicine was still a little primitive but creative when faced with situations which were not ideal.

[J. · Rating 4 out of 5]

The author tells of his work as a veterinarian over fifty years in Texas. It speaks of a time when veterinary medicine saw great advances and the impact it had on the doctor and his clients. There is repetitiveness to the stories that emphasize toil on body and mind that comes from working on large animals in desolated areas. Some situations will leave the reader with a smile while other a tear.

[Dino Price · Rating 5 out of 5]

Impressive - life wasn't easy...but at least you couldn't get bored.